Typewriting machine



Y May 26, 1925.

T. J. COO

TYPEWRITING MACHINE F ilegi Aug. 18, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l hue/770w: K

by my May 26, 1 925.

T. J. COO

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hue/afar WJW Aria/n Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES THOMAS J. 000, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed August 18, 1920. Serial No. 404,287.

T 0 all whom it may concern: r

' Be it known that I, THOMAS J. Coo, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriting machines having divided platens, and is in the nature of an improvement on my prior Patent,.No. 1,117,793, dated November 17, 1914:. a

In typewriting machines of the divided platen type, a work-sheet or web may be used in connection with each section of the platen, and entries-can be made on one and then on another by merely shifting the carriage to bring the proper platensection into position for the type-bars to co-operate therewith.

The main object of this invention is to prov vide in a divided platen machine mechanism especially adapted for handling webs, and for meeting a wide range of requirements as to feeding the various platen-sections, the parts of said mechanism being simple in construction, economical to manufacture and readily applicable to existing machines.

In carrying out the present invention, the left-hand section of the platen may be secured to. the usual platen axle and actuated by suitable line-space mechanism, or by finger-wheels at the opposite ends of the axle, and the right-hand section may be actuated by a line-space mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel secured to the outer end of that section. The line-space levers of the two line-space mechanisms may be mounted to swing in a substantially horizontal plane, and may be effective at the ends of their strokes to shift the platen to the right of the machine.

It has been found advantageous to provide means whereby each of the platensections may be rapidly' advanced entirely independently of the other. To this end, the right-hand platen-section may be secured to a sleeve passing through a bearing in the end of the platen frame' Preferably, the sleeve is mounted on a reduced portion of the platen axle, and is of the same external diameter'as the main body of the platen axle, thereby enabling bearings of the same size to be used at opposite ends of the platen frame. Arapid actuating device may be detachably secured to the sleeve at its end, and a similar device may be detachably secured to the reduced portion of the platen axle adjacent the end of the sleeve. Preferably, each of these devices comprises a combined finger-wheel, ratchet wheel and sleeve with a flange spaced from the ratchet wheel, an arm swingably supported on the sleeve and retained thereon by the ratchet wheel and the flange, and a lever pivoted on the arm and provided at one end with a pawl to engage the ratchet wheel. It will be evident that each of these devices may be placed in a machine or removed as a unit, thereby facilitating both the assembling and taking down of the machine.

Support of the. arms and the pawl lovers in either forward or rearward positions may be effected by means of a frame of wire or the like provided with front and rear stop portions parallel to the platen axle and an intermediate portion at right angles thereto. The ends of the frame maybe secured to the adjacent end of the platen frame, and the intermediate portion may be provided with a stud in alignment with the reduced portion of the platen axle and projectinginto the sleeve forming part of the rapid actuating device mounted on the reduced portion of a the platen axle.

To facilitate the use of continuous webs with one or both platen-sections, provision may be made of a web-carrier or carriage connected with the typewriter carriage to travel therewith.

In order that used portions of the webs may be severed when desired, provision may be made of a knife of substantially the same length as the platen and supported on the forward leaves of hinges, the rear leaves of which are secured to the platen frame at its ends, whereby the knife may be placed in effective position or turned to inefiective position on the top of the platen frame.

Other features and advantages will here-- chine, with my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view of a part of the mechanism shown in Figure 1, the section being taken just inside the right-hand end of the platen frame.

Figure 3 is a sectional'view taken along the right-hand end of the platen axle.

Figure 4 is a view, looking down from above, of the mechanism shown in Figure 1, certain parts being omitted.

Upon depression of keys (not shown) the type-bars 1 will be swung upwardly and rearwardly to print upon a work-sheet carried by the platen 2, which is revolubly supported by means of an axle 3 in plates 4, one at each end of the platen frame 5. Said platen frame 5 is supported in a carriage 6 mounted for movement across the machine on a rail 7 at the rear, .and supported at the front by means of rolls thereon projecting into a groove in a "front rail 9. 4

The carriage 6 is urged to the left by means of the usual strap 10 and springdrum 11, the movement of the carriage by this means being restrained by means of rack 12 carried by arms 13 pivoted on the carriage. and normally in mesh with a gear 14. Said gear 14has the usual one-way connection with an escapement wheel 15, which is controlled by the usual fast and loose dogs 16 and 17, respectively.

As any one of the type-bars 1, when actuated, approaches the end of its printing stroke, a shoulder 18 thereon will engage a universal bar 19, forming part of a universal frame 20, and thereby actuate a dogrocker 21 to shift the loose dog 17 out of engagement with the escapementwheel and the fast dog 16 into engagement with said escapement wheel.

According to the present invention, the platen 2 is divided into two sections 22 and 23. respectively, the left-hand section 22 being fixed on the platen axle near the lefthand end of the platen frame by means of a screw 24. The platen-section 23 is mounted to rotate about the platen axle, its right-hand head 25, secured to the body of the section by any suitable means, such as screws 26, being mounted on a sleeve 27. Said sleeve 27 is revolubly mounted on a reduced portion 28 of the platen axle 3, and has the. same outside diameter as the main portion of the platen axle, thereby enabling the sleeve to be journaled in a bushing 29. of the usual size, held in.the plate 4 at that end of the platen frame.

The platen-section 22, which is fixed on the platen axle 3, may be actuated by means of a finger-wheel 30, secured to the left-hand end of the axle, as seen in Figure 4, or by means of the usual line-space lever 31, pivoted at 32 on the carriage 6. Upon movement of line-space lever 31 to the right, a slide 33 will be moved to the rear, and a ratchet wheel 34, fixed on axle 3, will be actuated therefrom by means of a pawl 35, the extent of movement of the ratchet wheel by the pawl being determined by a regulator lever 36 of the usual type. At the end of its movement to the right, the line-space lever 31 will be brought into contact with a stop 37, and the carriage may then be moved to the right against the action of the springdrum 11.

In order to line-space the platen-section 23, a line-space lever. 38 is provided at the right-hand end of the carriage 6, Said lever 38 may be conveniently attached to the carriage by means of a bracket 39 held to the top of the carriage by means of screws 40 and 41, the line-space lever 38 being pivoted on a screw 42 on the bracket, and urged to its normal position by means of a spring 43, connected at one end to the bracket and at the other end to the linespace lever. Upon movement of the linespace lever 38 to the right, a link 44, connected to said line-space lever 38 and to an arm 45 mounted for swinging movement about the platen axle, will actuate said arm 45, and, by means of a pawl 46 thereon, turn a ratchet wheel 47 secured to the right-hand head 25 of the platen-section 23 in any suitable manner, such as by screws 48. ratchet wheel 47 is mounted on a hub projecting from head 25, and arm 45 is mounted on the reduced inner end of a sleeve supported on a reduced portion of the hub and filling the space betweenthe hub proper and the adjacent end of the platen frame. At the end of its movement to the right, line-space lever 38 engages a stop 38 on the carriage, and may then be effective to move the carriage to the right.

Control of the platen-sections 22 and 23 at the right of the machine may-be effected by means of finger-wheels 49 and 50, respectively; finger-wheel 49'being fixed on platen axle 3 by means of a set-screw 51' held in position by means of a lock-nut 52, and finger-wheel being fixed on sleeve 27 by means of a set-screw 53 held in position by a lock-nut'54. Under certain conditions, for example, in inserting or Withdrawing a sheet from a platen-section, it may be desirable to advance the work-sheets or webs a considerable distance in one movement. To this end, the fingerwheel 50 has secured thereto, by suitable means, such as rivets, a ratchet wheel 55,

and an arm 56 is rotatably mounted on a sleeve 57, secured to ratchet wheel and sleeve 27, and provided with a flange 58 to maintain the arm 56 in position adjacent the ratchet wheel Lever 59 is pivoted at 60 on arm 56, and is provided with a As indicated in Figure 3,

ltll) an offset portion of the forward end of arm 56 extending beneath said lever 59;

Ratchet wheel 62 may be secured to finger-Wheel 49 by any suitable means, such as rivets, and an arm 63 may be rotatably mounted on sleeve 64 connected with said ratchet wheel 62 and finger-wheel 49, the arm 63 being held in position by means of a flange at the outer end of said sleeve 64. Pivoted at 65 on arm 63 is a lever 66 corresponding to lever 59, but having a differ ently-shaped forward end to distinguish it therefrom. Lever 66 is provided with a pawl 67 to co-operate with ratchet wheel 62, and extends forward sufficiently fro-m its pivot 65 so that it normally tends to lift 'the pawl 67 out of engagement with said normal positions determined by the stop 7 4' ratchet wheel 62, the downward movement of the forward arm of said lever 66 being limited by an offset portionof arm 63 extending thereunden It will be evident that by actuating levers 59 and 66 individually or together, a considerable rotation may be given to the corresponding sections.

Provision is made of a frame 68 having a. rear end 69 parallel with the axle of the platen and secured in a bushing 7 0 on the end of theplaten frame by means of-ascrew 71, to form a rear stop for the levers 59 and 66, and a portion 72 parallel to the adjacent end of the platen frame and haying a pin 73 extending into an opening in sleeve 64 in alignment with an opening in fingerwheel 49, in which the reduced port-ion 28 of the platen axle is secured. At the forward end of portion 7 2, the frame 68, which preferably is made from a continuous rod, is bent towards the end of the platen frame to form a front stop 74 on which said arms 56 and 68 normally rest, and a flattened end of the rod is carried beneath the bracket 39 and secured to the end of the platen frame by screw 41, which passes through an openthat by moving levers 59 and 66 from their to the positions determined by the rear end or stop 69 of the frame 68, the corresponding sections of the platen will be turned through equal angular distances.

Typewriting may be effected on either work-sheets or fwebs supported by said platen-sections 22 and 23, respectively. In case a web is to be used in connection with one of said platen-sections, a spool or reel 75 may be supported at the rear of the platen carriage, so as to travel therewith. To this end, a spool-carrier or spool-caring in said flattened portion. It will be seen riage 76, comprising end frames 77 and 78, connected by rods 79 and 80, respectively, may be pivotedon a rod 81 carried by brackets 82 and 83, respectively, secured von the rear of the typewriter carriage 6, and said carrier 76 may be supported by means of a roll 84 mounted, by means of an interposed block 84*, on rod 79 and supported by means of a rail 85 carried by brackets 86 secured to the rear of the type-writer frame. The pivotal support of the carrier 76 on rod 81 is obtained by passing the rod 81 through openings in the forward-ends of end frames 77 and 7 8, respectively, suitable collars 87 and 88 being fixed on said rod 81 to maintain said end frames in proper position on said rod 81. As seen in Figure 1, the rear flange of roll 84 projects to a greater extent than the forward flange and serves to prevent the carrier 76 from swinging forward to carry the roll 84 to the front of said rail 85, a stop 89 being provided to prevent said roll from slipping off said rail 85 to the rear.

When a spool, such as 75, is to be used in connection with either one of -the platensections 22 and 23, it is mounted on an axle 90 at the rear of said carrier 7 6 and held in proper position thereon by means of collars i 91 and 92 secured by set-screws 93 and 94, respectively. In order that such spools may be placedupon and removed from said axle 90 conveniently, the latter, while mountec Said spring 96 may be enclosed in a suitable housing or collar 97 fixed on axle 99 by means of a set-screw 98; and end thrust of axle 90, due to the urging of spring 96, may be counteracted by means of a collar 99 fixedon said axle 90 at the right of the end frame 78 (Figure 4) by means of a set-screw 100. A flange 101 on sleeve 95 affords a convenient means for moving sleeve 95 to the left (Figure 4), either to enable the axle to be placed in the open hearing or removed there- In order to facilitate the removal of used portions of Webs, provision may be made of a knife 102, parallel to the platen axis and openings 106 to receive screws 107 in the platen frame, this arrangement preventing interference by the screws 107 with the forward leaves 105. The forward leaves are also provided with arms 10% offset inwardly from the end frames, and extending downwardly between the latter when the knife is in normal position. the knife being attached to said arms at their lower ends. It will be seen that the knife may be positioned either in the full-line position shown in Figure 2. or in the dot-and-dash line-position there shown. A spring 109, connected to the left end of the platen frame and to the adjacent leaf 105, may be utilized to hold the knife in either of the two positions just referred to and as indicated in Fig ure 2.

When it is desired to introduce worksheets or webs into the machine, the knife is thrown to the dot-andalash line position, shown in Figure 2, and the feed-rolls 110 are cast off by means of the usual *ast-oft lever 111. After the ends of the worksheets or webs have been introduced between the feed-rolls 110 and the platen-sections 2-2 and 23, the feed-rolls are returned to their effective positions, and the sheets or webs are advanced to writing position. preferably by use of the levers 59 and 60, which are so connected with the platensections as to en able extensive continuous movements of the latter to be effected.

In order that one of the platen-sections may be actuated without the other. provision may be made of suitable detaining means, that for section 23 being shown in Figure 2 and comprising a detent-roll 112 on the end of a lever 113 swingable about a pivot 114C and urged toward the ratchet wheel by means of a spring 115 engaging said lever 113 at one end, and a pin 116 at the other.

It will be evident that the parts necessary to carry out my invention are simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and adapted to be applied to platen frames of existing machines without any substantia change in the latter.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a typewriter carriage 'in which is mounted a divided platen, comprising an axle, a platen-section attached thereto, and a second platen-section rotatable about said axle, of two ratchetwheels connected with said axle, one ateach end, two ratchet-wheels connected of each platen-section swingable longitudinally of said axle, an actuating'lever for the other ratchet-wheel of each platensection swingable around said axle, and

, plate-n axle on which the left-hand section is fixed, and about which the right-hand section is rotatable, a sleeve on said axle fixed to said right-hand section, a member comprising a ratchet-wheel fixed on the end of said axle, and extending beyond the same to leave an opening in alignment therewith, and a frame supported at the front and rear of said axle comprising front and rear stopportions parallel with saidaxle, and having a pin intermediate said front and rear stop-portions projecting into the opening in said member, thereby assisting in supporting said frame,

p 3. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a'platen comprising two sections, a platen axle on which th left-hand section is fixed and aboutwhich the right-hand section is rotatable, a sleeve-011 saidaxle fixed to said right-hand section, a member detachably secured on said sleeve, said member comprising a finger-wheel, a ratchet-wheel. and a second sleeve having a flange spaced from said ratchet-wheel, an arm swingable on the second sleeve and held adjacent said ratchet-wheel by said flange, and a lever pivoted on said arm and provided at one end with a pawl to co-operate with said ratchet-wheel.

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen axle, of a. combined finger-wheel, ratchet-wheel and sleeve detachably mounted on the end of said axle, an arm swingably mounted on said sleeve and held thereon by means of a flange at the end of said sleeve, and apawl lever pivoted on said .arm and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel and actuate the same.

5. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen comprising two sections, a traveling carriage for'said platen, a spoolcarrier connected to said carriage to travel therewith and adapted to support webspools in non-overlapping relation so as to be longitudinally free or clear of each other in positions to feed webs independently to said sections, means for independently linespacing each of said'sections, means for independently effecting extensive feeding movements of each of said sections, and

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may be severed adjacent the same section.

6. The combination of a typewriter carnage, a spool-carriage connected to the typewriter carriage to 'travel therewith,

' web-carrying spools or reels mounted on the I spool-carnage 1n non-overlapping relation so as to be longitudinally free or clear of each other, platen-sections mounted end to end on the typewriter carriage to receive webs feeding forwardly side by side from the spools, each platen-section receiving a web from only its corresponding spool, and means for independently line-feeding each platen-section to draw a web from only its corresponding spool independently of any other spool.

7. The combination of a typewriter carriage, a spool-carriage connected to the typewriter carriage to travel therewith, web-carrying spools or mounts placed end i to end on the spoolcarriage, platen-sections mounted end to end on the typewriter can riage to receive webs feeding forwardly side by side from the spools, one platensection receiving a web from only one spool and the other platen-section receiving a web from only the other spool, and means for independently line-feeding each platensection to draw a web from its spool independently of the other spool.

8. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a traveling spool-carrier comprising end frames and an axle on which spools may be mounted, one of said frames having an opening extending therethrough to receive one end of said axle, and the other of said frames. having an open bearing into which said axle may be'inserted from above, and a sleeve slidable on said axle and spring-pressed in one direction to force the sleeve into an opening in the second-melt tioned end frame when the axle has been inserted therein through the open side of the bearing.

9. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a traveling carriage comprising end frames, one having a. closed bearing and the other an open bearing, a rod of suitable diameter to fit said bearings, collars by which a weld-carrying spool may be held in place on said rod in. position to feed a web, a spring-pressed sleeve slidable on said rod and adapted to enter a countersink at one end of the open bearing to retain said rod removably' in the open bearing, and a coll'ai on the rod normally in engagement with the end frame having the open bearing to counteraot the end thrust due to the springpressed sleeve.

10. In a typewnting machine, in combination, a traveling carrier on which spools carrying webs may be p0SltlOI1df0I feeding the webs, said carrier comprising end frames, and a rod connecting the same, a

block secured to said rod, substantially at its center, a grooved roll journaled on said block and having its rear flange higher than the other, a stop on said block extending across the front face of said roll, and a fixed rail to support said roll, the latter being prevented from slip-ping off the rail by the high rear flange and the stop on the block.

11. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen, a platen axle, a platen frame in which said axle is mounted for r0- tation, line-spacing mechanism including a ratchet-wheel between the, platen. and one end of the platen frame, a knife extending longitudinally of the platen, knife-carrying arms pivotally mounted on the top of the platen frame at its ends to enable the knife to be swung to forward effective or rearward ineffective position, said arms, being so shaped as to extend between the ends of the platen frame when the knife is in forward position, andLa spring connected to one of the knife-carrying arms and the 'end of the platen frame opposite to' the one where said ratchet-wheel is located,' said spring being so positioned as to hold the knife in effective or ineffective position.

12. In a'typewriting machine, in combination, a platen frame" comprising end frames, a platen, a platen axle supported in said end frames, a knife extending l'ongitu dinally of the platen, knife-carrying arms pivoted on the tops of said end frames to, be swung either to the front or rear, said arms having offset portions to extend between saidend frames when said arms are swung forward to support said knife adjacent the platen, and a spring attached to one of said arms andto said platen frame, so as to hold said knife and knife-carrying arms in either forward or rearward posi tion.

T3. The combination with a typewriter carriage in which is mounted a divided attached thereto, and a second platen-section rotatable about said axle, of two ratchetplaten, comprising an axle, a platen-section platen-section, and means for actuating said platen-sections, including a carriage-returning line-space lever for one ratchet-wheel of each platen-section swingable longitudinally of said axle, an actuating lever for the other ratchet-wheel of each platen-section swing- ,able around said axle, and means for rotating the platen-sections in reverse direction independently of each other, said carriage returning levers spaced apart from each other and both of them spaced apart from said ratchet-wheel-actuating levers, to be freely operable independently of the latter,

and each ratehet-wheel actuating lever to be freely operable independently of said carriage-returning levers.

1%. The combination of a typewriter carriage, a spool-carriage connected to the type- Writer carriage to travel therewith, Webcarrying spools 0r reels mounted on the spool-carriage in non-overlapping relation so. as to be longitudinally fre or clear of each other, platen-sections mounted end to end on the typewriter carriage to receive webs feeding forwardly side by side from the spools, each platen-section receiving a web from only its corresponding spool, means for independently line-feeding each platen-section to draw a web from only its corresponding spool independently of any other spool, and means independent of said line-feeding means for independently imparting extensive web-feeding movements to each platen-section.

15. In a typevvrit-ing machine, a platen having a. plurality of sections and feeding means for rotating each platen-section, said feeding means being independent of each other, and each comprising line-spacing mechanism for advancing a platen-section a predetermined amount rapid-advancing means for advancing the platen-section a greater mechanically-limited amount, and means for turning the platen-section any desired amount in either direction.

THOMAS J. COO.

lVit-nesses:

H. J. S. DENNIsoN, F. A. Bornrn. 

